Schreiber is a veteran journalist, educator, and president emeritus of the National Automatic Merchandising Association. In this book, he provides a lively account of vending from its origins in the late 1800s to the dawn of the modern industry after World War II. He offers summaries of major technical developments and brief accounts of the dynamic individuals who pioneered the vending business. The book traces the development of vending from a niche novelty marketing approach to a mainstream food and beverage service industry.